


Self Defense

by tjemd



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-30
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-11 05:36:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7031170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tjemd/pseuds/tjemd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kara has an incredibly giving personality, and she finds value in being able to improve the lives of those around her.  But Kara cannot be everywhere at once, and cannot save the citizens of National City nonstop.  How does she deal with that?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Robbery

“And Kara…you can have your job back if you would like it. As long as you don’t tell anyone that I thought you were, you know.”

Giddy with relief, Kara responded, “I think that would be in both of our interests, Ms. Grant.”

“And Kara – I was wrong.” Looking somewhere between chagrined, embarrassed, and still perplexed, Cat continued. “Now that I’ve seen you both in the same room, you look nothing like her.” 

“Thank you,” Kara responded as she exited the bullpen for the stairwell.

“You’re welcome,” was provided to her retreating back.

~~~~~~~

The next morning, still bursting with energy, Kara came in extra early, just in case Cat decided to do the same. 

She took special care in setting ambient room temperature, restocking all refreshments and inkwells, triple checking meeting printouts, cross-referencing them against Cat’s calendar agenda, and setting the 8 am reminder notices to all appropriate management levels to provide their deliverables in a timely fashion.

When Winn and the rest of the floor started trickling in for the day, Kara had already sent out requests to either accept or assign designees to anyone who had not yet responded to Cat’s meeting invitations for the next three weeks. 

She had also verified inventory levels for each of the floors’ back-office supplies, annotating who had allowed them to run below where they should have been re-ordered for future follow-up, among a half dozen other tasks which weren’t actually in her job description but which kept the building operating more smoothly. 

And, of course, she had picked up Cat’s first morning latte of the day. After the successful subterfuge from the previous evening, Kara needed to be effective in her role, needed to show Cat how seriously she took her position, and how grateful she was that Cat had hired her in the first place, let alone providing her more recent mentoring activities. 

Steeling herself to give the same bright, guileless smile as usual, Kara’s heartrate picked up as she heard the private elevator car begin to rise. 

Without breaking her stride, Cat held out her hand for the beverage and kept walking toward her office as she declared, “Kiera, I need the art division here in five for the special on the Albertan wildfire.”

With a grin directed towards Cat’s typical brusqueness, Kara felt her nerves settle and moved to comply.

~~~~~

After lunch, Kara sent a text to Alex. _'Danvers only movie night tonight?'_

 _‘I’m there. What time?’_ came the nearly immediate response.

Kara deliberated, unsure what time Cat would let her head out of the office. _‘How about 7:30, and if I need to push back I’ll let you know?’_

_‘I’ll get the potstickers and lo mein. You get the drinks and are on the hook if you want anything else. See you soon.’_

_‘You’re the best, Alex!’_ Kara leaned back in her chair, savoring the excitement of some quality bonding time with her older sister. Looking back to her desk, Kara refocused on the work remaining to be done by close of business.

Shortly before 6 pm, Kara finished up. She walked into Cat’s office with a knock and wished her a good evening. “I’m caught up on your schedule and the copy edit for the day, Ms. Grant. Division head fiscal meeting packets are printed off and waiting in the conference room for first thing in the morning. Electronic versions have been submitted to attendees’ inboxes. Is there anything else with which I can help?”

Cat waved her off with a dismissive hand. “No, Kiera – once your edits are on the director’s desk, you are free to go home.”

“Thanks, Ms. Grant! Have a great evening!” And with that, Kara walked out the door guilt-free. The balmy weather on her walk home helped Kara decompress and she shot a quick status update. _‘On my way home. I have a couple of 2-liters, bottled water, your fifth of Jameson, and some beers – let me know if you want anything else.’_

When she didn’t get an immediate response, Kara shrugged and started pulling out plates, cups, and silverware. Seeing she had an extra hour, Kara changed into her super suit and took a quick lap around the city.

An unsteady voice in the distance caught her attention. “Please don’t do this.”

“I don’t want to hurt you, lady. I just need you to empty your pockets and put your purse on the ground.” 

Grateful that at least the assailant didn’t sound violent, Kara dropped down into the scene and reacted accordingly. “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave this woman alone.”

“Supergirl!” responded two separate voices, one relieved and the other suddenly anxious.

Kara turned to the victim first. “Ma’am, are you all right? What’s going on here?” The young man started backing away, terrified.

Sounding choked up, the woman responded, “Thank you so much for showing up, Supergirl. This man was about to rob me.” A brief glance at her vitals showed her heart rate slowing, shoulders beginning to relax, and breathing coming more evenly. There were no signs of injury.

“What do you have to say for yourself?” Looking toward the would-be mugger, Kara’s shoulders rolled back and she crossed her arms, a slight frown in place.

“I…I needed the money.” He at least had the decency to look marginally chagrined.

Kara’s glare didn’t lessen any as she asked him, “Do you have _any_ idea how wron-“ She cut herself off. “No. This can go one of two ways. Either you turn yourself in to the police voluntarily, or I can take you there myself. Which will it be?”

At this, he hung his head. “I’ll go voluntarily.”

“Ma’am, I am going to escort this gentleman to the police precinct, but I’ll also be paying attention to this area. Are you far from your destination?”

The grateful woman shook her head and picked up her bag. “No, I’m only a few blocks from home.”

Kara gave her a reassuring nod. “If the police need to take a statement from you, would it be all right for me to contact you? Alternatively, would you feel safer coming to the station with us?”

“I’ll be fine, thanks to you. I’ll call in a report with the police station and make sure to leave my contact information with them.” 

With the immediate crisis resolved, Kara flashed her the patented Sunny Danvers smile. “Just doing my job, ma’am.”

“Sharon. My name is Sharon.” Sharon reached into her purse and pulled out a pen and pad, scribbling on the top sheet before ripping it off. “Also, here. This is my number if you need to reach me.”

“Well, Sharon, I’m happy to be of service. Now, let’s be off.” And with that, she followed the mugger to the police station to confess and submit himself for processing.

At the police station, Kara pulled out her phone, navigating to Alex’s confirmation that the current beverage situation was fine. _‘I may be a few minutes late – silverware and flatware are out. Feel free to get started!’_

Checking in with the officers on duty, Kara confirmed that they needed no further details from her statement and flew back home.

Alex was waiting for her when Kara arrived and handed her a plate. “Hey, is everything ok?”

Kara breathed the aroma coming from the takeout and sighed happily. “Thanks! I had some extra time, so ran a quick patrol – stopped a mugging, and checked the guy in with the police.”

“Nicely done! Did everything check out? Was there anything suspicious about it?” Alex looked her sister over for any obvious signs of harm.

“Yeah, I got there before anything bad happened. Sharon agreed to file a report with the police, and we were both home in time for dinner!”

Both of them walked over to the living space, where the TV episode menu screen was prompting them to hit play. 

“It really made me think, though. What if Cat had needed me for something else, or I had been out of drinks, you know?”

Alex pulled Kara into a side hug. “But neither of those happened, and people are safe because of you. Those kinds of ‘what ifs’ can drag you down if you’re not careful.”

“How do you do it, Alex?” Kara looked to her older sister plaintively. “How do you think like that? Does it get easier?”

Alex paused for a second, carefully considering how she wanted to play this conversation. “No, Kara, it’s never easy. But I try to look at the bigger picture.” 

Alex got up and walked to the kitchen to pour herself some whiskey. “There are four million people in the National City Metropolitan Area, and since Supergirl has been around, the ratio of total crime has halved. And of that, violent crime has reduced to twenty-five percent of its previous statistics. 

“Those are really powerful numbers, even when you take continued property crime into account. Although you’re not actively flying through the skies non-stop, your presence does provide a deterrent.”

“Wow, how do you even know that?” Kara’s voice was slightly awed.

Alex laughed. “While the DEO’s focus is on extranormal operations, you are and have always been my number one priority. I need to know what you’re in for, and because of that, I can absolutely see the good you do.

“Your actions, eternal optimism, and the goodwill you inspire in those around you have dropped the number of violent crimes per year from approximately twenty thousand to tracking under five thousand.” Giving her sister a thumbs up, Alex added some Coke to the whiskey, making herself a mixed drink. “Do you want me to grab anything while I’m up?”

Kara shook her head no, indicating that she was happy with what was already at the table. “But how is it ok that even five thousand crimes are happening? Every single one of those numbers is a person.”

“And the fact that you see that is what keeps you you, Kara.” Alex took a sip of her whiskey. “Now, are we watching the show or what?”


	2. The Idea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara gets an idea from the woman she saved and brings it to Cat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the first chapter, Kara interrupted a mugging and had dinner with Alex, agonizing over her actions not being enough.

Over the next few weeks, Kara’s corner of her adoptive world exploded, leaving her with very little time to worry about crime statistics. But after the fiasco with Lord’s red kryptonite, in and among her trips to Ikea, Kara kept thinking about the conversation with Alex. 

_I know I can’t prevent all bad things from happening, but maybe I don’t have to. I need to help people help themselves, for when I’m not around to save them._ Her thoughts migrated to the woman she’d prevented from being mugged the previous month. _What would Sharon have done if I hadn’t stopped by to save her?_

The thoughts kept swirling around in her head, and Kara eventually decided to just ask her. She figured the easiest, least invasive way to contact her was to give her a phone call, so she stopped by Winn’s desk when she walked into the bullpen the next morning. 

“Good morning!”

“Hey, Kara, how are you holding up?”

Kara gave him an unconvincingly enthusiastic arm pump as she responded, “Never better! Can you do me a huge favor?”

Rotating in his swivel chair, Winn narrowed his eyes, “Depends. Does this job description entail lifting over 1,000 lbs of molten metal?”

“Close – I need to give someone a phone call, but I need to do it as you know who, so I can’t use my number.”

Pursing his lips, Winn’s face became contemplative as his mind clearly put too much effort into finding a solution. “If we borrowed some of your sister’s –“

Kara interrupted him before he got too much further. “Actually, I was just thinking I could use a burner phone.”

“Or you could use a burner phone.” Winn looked mildly disappointed. “So I’m getting you a burner phone. Why am I getting you a phone?” 

“There’s this woman I rescued, and I wanted to check in on her.”

Cocking his head to the side, Winn asked, “Is she suspicious in some way?” Perking up, he continued, “Do you need me to run a background check?”

“No, no, nothing like that. This was just a rescue from a standard, run-of-the-mill human crime. I wanted to call her to see if she’s ok.”

“To…is this part of your, you know, ‘win back the vote’ strategy?” Winn whispered conspiratorially.

Shaking her head with amusement, Kara’s reply was more of a question. “Kind of?” Looking over to the elevator shaft toward her arriving boss, she straightened, her body language alerting Winn. “So can you do it?”

“Sure thing.” Winn gave her a slight wave as he turned back to his keyboard. “I’ll leave it on your desk if you’re not here when I get back from lunch.”

Giving him a one-armed hug around his chair, her “You’re the best!” was quick as she pivoted to grab Cat’s latte off her own desk.

~~~~~

Later that evening, simultaneously both excited and nervous, Kara pulled out her shiny new flip phone and dialed Sharon’s number. After a couple of rings, a confused “Hello?” sounded on the other end.

“Sharon, this is Supergirl. Do you have a moment?”

The confusion gave way to a much more pleased tone. “Oh, hey! Absolutely! What’s up?”

“I mostly just wanted to check in on you – see how you were doing.”

“Thank you so much! This is very thoughtful of you. Nothing actually happened, so I’m ok – more aware of my surroundings, but I’m all right overall. Actually, I took up a self-defense course to help me cope.”

“A self-defense course?”

“Yeah, it’s all about what to do in the event that you get attacked like I was.”

Caught off guard, Kara asked, “Do you feel like it’s helped you at all?”

“Yes, I do feel more secure. I know most people just try not to think about violent crime happening to them, but since it actually did, I figured it would make sense to know what to do if there’s ever a next time.”

Kara nodded thoughtfully, then realizing Sharon couldn’t actually see her, followed up with, “So…what kind of things has it taught you?”

“Well, obviously, the first step is prevention. Stay away from empty streets or unpopulated areas. Be aware of your surroundings. Run, if you can. Stay out of range, and be loud – draw attention to yourself. That sort of thing. 

“Then, if you can’t apply any of the advice above,” she continued, “the class goes into how to physically defend yourself from an assailant. While I hope I never have to experience any of that again, it absolutely helps to have a plan.”

“I’m so glad to hear that, Sharon, and I’m so glad that you’re doing ok.”

Sharon paused on the other end for a few seconds before responding. “It isn’t a magic bullet, and I certainly still feel a lot of fear over what could have happened, but I do feel stronger, and better prepared. 

“Thank you again for saving me. It means a lot that you called, that you care.”

“I’m grateful I was in the right place at the right time. And thank you! I think you may have given me an awesome idea.” Kara beamed, though, once again, Sharon was unable to see it.

~~~~~

Eventually, once she settled on the high level details in her mind, Kara picked a relatively peaceful evening after the workday and took to the skies.

Leaning back slightly in her chair and getting up, Cat took a moment from looking over the most recent SWOT analysis findings to stretch her legs and look out her window. A knock at her office door surprised her.

“Supergirl. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Maintaining her distance beyond the threshold, Kara asked, “Miss Grant, may I speak with you for a few minutes?”

Pointing to the patio door in front of her, Cat arched a brow and replied with, “Isn’t the balcony your typical M.O.?”

“I figured, after the other day, that I should avoid bringing up bad memories.” Kara then motioned to the manila folder in her hand. “And I have a proposal for you.”

“Well,” drawled Cat, drawing out the word, “Your penchant for breaking and entering without detection notwithstanding, I appreciate the thought.”

Walking toward Kara in a deliberate fashion, Cat held her hand out palm up, silently demanding the manila folder.

“What am I looking at, Supergirl?”

Kara took a deep breath, hopefully bolstering herself, and responded, “Do you remember how, when my mind was altered, I said I felt like an enabler?”

Despite herself, Cat shivered slightly. “How could I forget?”

Ashamed, Kara looked to the ground, going silent.

Giving herself some physical distance to settle the sudden awkwardness, Cat walked over to the wet bar, leafing through the folder as she went. “I assume you brought that pleasant jaunt up for a reason?”

Kara felt uncharacteristically pensive. “To a certain extent, I meant it. Not that I want to leave people to get hurt, but…” she went silent, considering how best to continue.

“I worry about people getting complacent, hoping that I’ll be there to save them when I can’t be everywhere at once.”

“What do you plan to do about that?” Pouring herself a healthy measure of a particularly rich single malt Scotch, Cat then looked back at Kara. “And would you like anything to drink?”

Kara shook her head, indicating that she was fine. “No thank you, Miss Grant. I’m not thirsty.” 

Shrugging, Cat walked back over to the couches in front of her desk with both folder and drink in hand. “Now, please, take a seat,” she urged, motioning to the seating options. Kara sat down across from where she was standing, and she continued. “Give me your elevator pitch.”

“I want to partner with CatCo to host a self-defense series. People who might otherwise be too intimidated or feel too invulnerable may be more likely to attend with me present. 

“The benefit to you as the sponsor is that CatCo is, once again, the network of self-empowerment, and you get exclusive on-premise coverage of the series.”

Cat’s eyes immediately brightened at the thought. “Let’s say I agree – what would this look like?”

“I’m not sure yet. But it’s very important to me that I do what I can to ensure this city is safe.”

“Why now, though? You’ve been out as Supergirl for months, and could have run with something like this at any time. If anything, your recent behavior has skewed public opinion towards fearing you – what prompted this sudden advocacy? Desire for positive publicity, the spotlight? ” Cat asked, pulling at the thread a bit.

“I,” Kara sighed slightly, “No, I don’t want to be in the spotlight. But as you know,” she gestured to the wall of televisions to her right, “there are ways to solve problems beyond physically swooping in and punching them away.”

Cat smirked at the wry observation, but didn’t let Kara off the hook. “You didn’t actually answer my question.”

“As much as my actions and attitude were dramatically inappropriate, _please_ believe me when I say I never intended to place you in actual harm…” Kara trailed off, her blue eyes looking straight into Cat’s, earnest and intense. Cat stiffened but nodded slightly, acknowledging the comment, albeit not verbally addressing it.

Kara’s eyes dulled as she allowed her distress to clearly show itself to the woman across from her. “I won’t make excuses for myself. I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching since then. I’m a lot better at actions than words…” After a few moments, Kara shook herself out of her musings. 

Cat’s uncharacteristically continued silence, punctuated by the bob of the column of her throat as she took a sip of her Scotch, allowed Kara to process her thoughts, enabling her to continue.

Trying not to go into too much detail, she answered more directly, staring at the table ornaments to bolster herself. “Before all of this happened, I interrupted a mugging. I told you that I feel like the light of the people I save becomes a part of me.”

“I remember,” Cat interrupted, posture relaxing again.

“Well, sometimes I check up on them, make sure they’re still doing all right. This person had, um, used the incident as a trigger to learn how to protect herself in the future.” Kara’s voice was hushed as she spoke. “Her reaction inspired me.

“I thought, maybe, instead of enabling people to feel like I was going to save them, that it would be more worthwhile to encourage them to save themselves. With so many like-minded people there, as well as a superhero,” Kara pointed to her crest, “I’m hoping it’s less intimidating, and that people can see that they’re not alone.” 

Kara shrugged lightly as she looked back up. Studying Cat’s face, whose expression was inscrutable, Kara gave an awkward smile to break up the tension. “And who knows? Maybe some would-be attackers will think twice knowing there are so many people learning how to defend themselves using the Supergirl School of Back Off.” 

Finishing her drink, Cat placed her glass on a coaster. “First of all, it’s commendable that you think to follow up with people after you save them. I didn’t know that.”

“Thank you, Miss Grant.”

Waving her off, Cat continued. “Your reasoning and motivation _do sound_ inspiring.” She took a deep breath, glaring at the ceiling momentarily before scanning Kara’s face with laser focus. “I will address this once, and ask that you pay careful attention.” Kara straightened, pulling her shoulders back, squaring her jaw.

“You terrified me that evening, not only because you threw me off my own building, but also because of the clear crisis of faith you described just prior to that point.” Kara, stricken, felt tears well in her eyes, but maintained eye contact. The next words were spoken firmly but not unkindly. “As public figures, we do not have the luxury of doubt, or of acting out.

“I know there were extenuating circumstances, and that you were under the influence of,” Cat wrinkled her nose, “ _something_ which dramatically altered your behavior. As such, I neither need nor desire an apology from you. I don’t blame you. But I do need you to guarantee to me that this idea –“ 

She paused, waving the folder lightly, “is actually about empowering people and not about appeasing the guilt you’re feeling, or another Ikea stunt to change public perception of Supergirl. Because a cause is more than one event, and is larger than how you feel at any given time. Handling it incorrectly can cause serious lasting damage.

“For better or worse, people will question your motivations and actively attempt to undermine what you are doing, regardless of how noble it sounds, or even actually is.” Cat’s eyes softened, even as her words lanced at Kara’s conscience. ”CatCo cannot publicly support someone who is uncertain whether people are worthy of being saved, or someone who would blame victims for not being strong enough. So I need you to be sure.”

Swallowing against the knot in her throat, Kara nodded her comprehension. “I understand, Miss Grant.” She stood slowly, reaching across the table to hold her hand out for the folder, confused as Cat pulled it back.

“This is neither a rebuke nor a rejection, Supergirl. I have never shied from the hard truth with you, and am not about to start now. Ultimately, this is something from which National City would obviously benefit.” Kara thought that hearing praise from Cat Grant should have felt better. “But you need to give them time to heal, to get used to the idea of Supergirl being human, with flaws.”

Kara nodded, the lump in her throat somehow even larger. Seeing her distress, Cat sighed. “Once again, you’re taking on too much too fast. They will come around. Until that time, I will review this initial proposal.” 

As she walked over to her desk, dropping the folder on its surface, Cat continued over her shoulder, “I fully expect any CatCo-affiliated content producer to provide a detailed write-up for sponsored events. Let’s revisit this in, say, four weeks?” She pivoted on her heel back toward Kara. 

Sensing an assignment and dismissal in the phrasing, Kara slowly stood, limbs feeling heavy. “Thank you for your feedback, Miss Grant.”

With her hands free, Cat walked back up to Kara, invading her personal space. “The thought is noble, and kind, and _exactly_ what the city looks up to from Supergirl.” This closeness, the vehemence of Cat’s words, felt more like the approval Kara had been hoping for when she’d shown up. “This – channeling your resentment into positive momentum – is what getting back up looks like.”

A gentle hand on her shoulder further soothed the past several minutes. “The message you send is about more than just your words, Supergirl. You want to provide confidence and reassurance, not look desperate or guilty. That’s what these women need. Let’s give it to them.”

Warmth and relief flooded Kara’s body as she recognized the difference between Cat’s professional and personal reactions. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I’ll work out the logistics and provide more detail.” She paused, uncertain. “If it genuinely doesn’t bother you, may I exit via your balcony?”

“By all means, Supergirl.”


End file.
